Safe and Secure Micro Modular Reactors
Ji-Cheng (JC) ZhaoProgram Director
teaming with:Ron Faibish, Ryan Umstattd, Colleen Nehl,
Adam Fischer, and Adrienne Little
ARPA-E Safe and Secure Megawatt-Size Nuclear Power WorkshopMarch 16-17, 2016, Washington, DC
2
Why nuclear is essential?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
Trill
ion
kWh
Historic & Projected U.S. Electricity Generation
Projected
Coal
Natural Gas
Actual The New Atomic Age We Need
Carbon-free baseload/“standby” power to balance the intermittent solar & wind
Paris COP21 and the Urgent Need for More Nuclear Energy
Four top climate scientists James Hansen, Tom Wigley, Ken Caldeira, and Kerry Emanuel urged a major expansion of nuclear power.
3
U.S. nuclear energyU.S. Nuclear Fleet Retirements & Capacity Additions
Source: EIA (2015), NEI, NRC (2015), Capacity additions data from EIA
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2065 2070 2075
Tota
l Sum
mer
Cap
acity
(GW
)
Year
60 year operation
80 year operation
New Capacity Additions
?
4
Decentralized Generation (DG)
Forecast (Navigant Research & EIA):• Globally 1.2 TW of new DG is expected by 2023, valued at $1.3 trillion• DG will displace at least 321 GW of new large-scale power plants by 2024
Courtesy: Westinghouse
Can nuclear be part of the DG growth opportunities ?
Micro Modular Reactors (MMRs): <10MWe
5
In-factory certification
Make in factoriesCertify in factoriesTransport to sites
• Inherently safe• Proliferation resistant
• Tow-away decommission• Made to order
Micro Modular Reactors (MMRs)
• Safety, safety, safety …• Security, security …• Non-proliferation …
• MMR enables more rigorous safety validation tests like jet engines
Design for safety jet engine example
6
• Jet engine certification test examples• Carbon fiber composite fan blades• TiAl intermetallic blades
Jetpak.net
GE90-115B
MMR enables more rigorous safety tests like jet engines
7Triple Redline Operation
© GE
MMR enables more rigorous safety tests like jet engines
8
9
• 150,000+ blades• 750+ engines• 4+ million hours of flawless operations
(as of April 2015)
Example: Introduction of TiAl to jet engines
TJ Kelly and MJ Weimer, “Bringing TiAl to Production as Low Pressure Turbine Blades”, TMS Annual Meeting, New Orleans (2008)Latest Information based on the 2014 Distinguished Lecture in Materials and Society by Robert Schafrik at MS&T 2014
© Boeing400+ TiAl blades per airplane
© Boeing Paramount rigor of safety in designs, validation tests & inspections, yet open to innovations
787: TiAl introduced in 2011 in GENX-1B
747-8: TiAl introduced in 2012 in GENX-2B
400+ TiAl blades per airplane
48Ti-48Al-2Nb-2Cr
The first FAA certified intermetallic material for jet engine application
© GE
What are the equivalent safety validation tests for micro modular reactors?
10
• Intentional fault tests• Earthquake shaker table tests?• Water submersion tests?• Projectile penetration tests?
• Neutron/nuclear simulation expertise• Crash-worthiness simulations (from auto industry)• Projectile simulations (from the military)
Do modeling & simulations tools have the fidelity to replace some costly experiments?
Mike Mohar talk on capabilities at Nevada National Security Site
We have the foundations…
11
Engineering prowess Commercial aviation safety design & experience
Nuclear excellence Rigorous regulatory practice
Materials science excellence
Sensors, Controls & robotics technology
Space technologies
Simulation excellenceTest capabilities
Working together
12
• Design for safety• Design for reliability• Design for resistance
to proliferation• Design to mobility• Design for
manufacturing
Inherently safe & securedesign
• Design for resistance to neutron radiation
• Design for stability• Design for compatibility
with heat transfer media• Design for compatibility
with fuels
Advanced materials
• Design for passive controls
• Design for imaging & monitoring
• Design for facile inspections
Monitoring & controls
• Early & constant engagement with utilities & OEMs
• Early & constant engagement with NRC
• Engagement with potential early adopters
Design for MMRs: KAIST example
13
Supercritical CO2-cooled micro modular reactor
© KAIST, South Korea
Several submitted concepts will be discussed at this workshop
Materials for MMRs: Zinkle talk
Sensors & Controls for MMRs: EPRI report
Source: EPRI 15
Security & Safety: inherent design features
16
• Zero chance of core melting passive safety• Complete prevention of radiation leaks• Zero Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ)• Design for time-intensive removal from sites• Limited and well-controlled radiological materials• Safety protocols to transport MMRs from factories
to operation sites• Layered monitors & security measures to reduce
security staff sensors, cameras, robots, drones… • Resistance to projectile attacks• Cyber security of operations
Non-proliferation
17
• Proliferation-resistant fuels lessons from other nuclear operations?
• No refueling on site • No on-site spent fuel storage• Tow-away decommission• … Panel discussion tomorrow
MMRs provide flexibility & modularity
18
• Remote, energy-lean areas• Backup power• Rapid response needs• Cogeneration (e.g., heat,
desalination)
• Critical infrastructure• Hybrid with renewables• Maritime shipping• Micro-grids & decentralized
generation
Potential to use existing sites of scheduled retiring nuclear power plants?
Turbine
All-in-one
19
Micro Modular Reactors (MMRs)
Make in factories• Inherently safe & secure designs such as solid core• Deployment of advanced materials, sensors & controls• Assembly-line efficiency & strict quality controls• Made to order - minimal delay & much reduced capital
Certify in factories• Licensing/certification once only for each type of reactor• Safety tests (earthquake shake tables…faulty tests)• Much reduced certification/licensing cost
Transport to sites• Minimal site requirements (emergency planning zone)• No need for on-site spent fuel storage• Much expanded use with size flexibility/modularity• Tow-away decommission
In-factory certification
All-in-one
• Make & certify MMRs like jet engines• Make MMRs safer than jet engines
Imagine this:
20
Reciprocating Engines
Microturbines
Micro ModularReactor
…with growing decentralizedenergy generation market
• Current: ~142 GW added/year*• Projected: ~200 GW added/year*
A drop-in replacement for current incumbent
technologies
* GE report
Key metrics for discussion– Physical size: each component fits in an ISO container – Weight: <59,000 lbs (per component)– Lifetime without refueling: 10-20 years– Fuels (e.g., enrichment: <20%, preferred 4-5%)– Load following capability– No external cooling towers– No water usage– Resistance to 9.0 magnitude earthquakes, tsunami
water submersion– Inherent (passive) safety, security, and proliferation
resistance with sensors and controls
21
Key questions
22
• Are there inherently safe & secure designs at the MMR size?
• What tests & what operational metrics?• How far do we need to go to demonstrate the safety
and security to seed a pathway for the development & deployment of MMRs?
• How can a $30M ARPA-E program make a difference?
• What are the key enabling technologies and system integration innovations?
Design for safety, security & non-proliferation
23
Are you willing to put a MMR in your own backyard?
+ Security+ Non-proliferation
Safety
In-factory certification
Make in factoriesCertify in factoriesTransport to sites
We seek your help in charting a path …
If we do this, it will lead to …
24www.arpa-e.energy.gov
JC ZhaoRon Faibish
Ryan UmstattdColleen Nehl
Adam FischerAdrienne Little
Thank you !
